“Do you know this person?” Ling Yi showed Xi Lei a photo on his phone.

Xi Lei’s first concern was odd: “How do you have a cell phone?”

Even his own cell phone had been confiscated for security reasons, and he wasn’t allowed to contact the outside world.

But when he took the phone and saw the person in the photo, his expression immediately changed.

“Of course I do.”

These days, news about Ling Yi’s murder was everywhere, and the person in the photo often appeared in those reports. 

This person had also been present on the day Xi Lan was tricked into going to the club and almost defiled by Lu Dawa. He was an eyewitness to Lu Dawa’s death.

Ling Yi: “His name is Wu De. I checked his identity online, and he’s a relative of Duke Sully.”

“Why are you investigating him? Is he involved…..?”

Xi Lei and his friends had only learned what happened that night afterward, and their lives were turned upside down overnight.

The police refused them visits, and the court refused their attendance. All the information they received came from the media, and Xi Lei still didn’t know exactly what transpired that night.

“I received a call for help from Xi Lan that day. There were only two people in the room when I arrived, and that scumbag was trying to do something vile to Xi Lan. In a fit of rage, I stabbed him several times with a fruit knife that was on the table and he unexpectedly died. I learned later that he was the youngest son of the Lu family.”

Xi Lei keenly grasped the key point: “There were only two people in the private room?”

“Right. This person wasn’t there, and never appeared from beginning to end.”

“Then how did he become an eyewitness to the scene?”

“He went to the restroom before I got there. Later, he heard the commotion and saw the bloody scene through a crack in the door. He didn’t dare to go out, and stayed hidden inside. But what’s strange is that during the first trial, he said that he had videotaped the entire process, but the second time, he flatly denied it. He said that he only saw it with his own eyes and couldn’t produce any other evidence.”

“Could it be that he lied the first time?”

“I don’t think so. But if you ask me why, I can only say it’s…..intuition.”

Xi Lei knew that Ling Yi wouldn’t tell this to him easily.

“What do you intend to do?”

“If this video really exists, I need to get my hands on it. It can never leak out.”

“Why, are you afraid others will see you…..” Xi Lei shuddered. “Are you afraid it will cause harm to Xi Lan?”

Ling Yi nodded slightly.

Xi Lei sent him a look of gratitude.

“Whatever you want to do, I’ll help you. But you and I can’t leave the medical college at the moment, so how does knowing this person’s identity help?”

“I heard from Tang De that Duke Sully will be holding a ball soon. There is a high probability that Wu De will also be there, so we need to find a way to sneak in.”

Grand Duke Fengdi Sully, a distant royal cousin of Oser’s, had married the renowned princess of a neighboring country.

This princess was of royal blood from the Three Kingdoms period, and had countless suitors when she was young. Marrying her was Grand Duke Sully’s proudest achievement, which led to his favorite hobby of showing off his love in public.

Sully was also a sociable person. He held balls in his castle now and then, and always invited Oser to attend.

The reason was simple. Everyone was willing to feed dog food to a perennial bachelor, for fear that he might not have enough to eat.

. . . . . .

Sully’s face appeared on the video screen.

“Your Highness Oser, how can you not do me the honor of attending my masquerade?”

Oser was the picture of laziness: “Your dances are so boring. It’s better not to attend.”

“If Your Highness finds dances boring, could it be because you lack a dance partner? This is my fault. How can I ask every guest to bring a partner? Not everyone can find a suitable dance partner, can they?” Sully smiled maliciously.

Oser scoffed and didn’t respond.

“How about I introduce you to an excellent Beta as your dance partner tonight?”

“Unnecessary.”

“I know you look down on Betas, but most Omegas have their own dance partners. It would be too much to ask for an Alpha to accompany you.”

“You’ve really thought this through, ah,” Oser said unhappily. “Aside from dances is there nothing else you enjoy in life?”

“Of course there is.” Sully feigned being shy. “You haven’t come to a gathering in a long time. My wife and children miss you very much, and look forward to seeing you. My fourth child will be born soon. Although it won’t be my first time being a father, I still want to share my joy with you.”

Oser’s right eyelid twitched slightly, but Sully was fortunately too complacent to notice such a detail.

“Since this is such an important matter, I must be there in person to express my congratulations and demonstrate my sincerity.”

“Ai, I knew Your Highness wouldn’t agree…..eh? You’re coming? You changed your mind?”

Sully happily faced the camera: “Madam, Madam! His Highness Oser has agreed to attend the ball tonight!”

He turned back and said: “Then I’ll arrange a dance partner for you tonight.”

“No need,” Oser declined.

“That won’t do. Everyone will be dancing in pairs on the dance floor. If you’re alone, it will look like we’re mistreating you.”

“When did I say I was going alone?”

“Do you mean to say you’re bringing a partner?”

His voice rose an octave: “Madam, Madam! His Highness Oser says he’s bringing a dance partner!”

Mrs. Sully appeared in the camera with a smile: “Is that true, Your Highness? I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to it tonight.”

Sully couldn’t hide his excitement: “I’m going to tell everyone about this. And I’ll be waiting at the door to greet you and your distinguished guest!”

“You had better make the venue more luxurious, so that my partner won’t despise your castle for its shabby appearance.”

After ending the video call, Oser pressed his hand to his forehead, attempting to suppress his irritability.

“Go and get ready.”

Tang De, the only other person in the room, pointed at himself: ? ? ?

“Who else?”

“No way.” Tang De said incoherently, “How can I take on such an important task…..what about Pat? Pat likes dancing!”

“One month’s salary plus two weeks of annual leave.”

This excited him a bit…..but not that much!

Tang De righteously refused: “It’s not that I don’t want to dance with you, it’s just that I’m not greedy for money, nor do I love vacations!”

Ling Yi pushed open the door and walked in: “Your Highness, I heard everything. I’ll go with you tonight.”

Oser covered his eyes the same as before: “Don’t be silly.”

“Isn’t this a masquerade? I’ll be wearing a mask, so no one will know who I am.”

Oser then revealed a sliver of his eyes through his slender fingers.

Ling Yi sat on the table in front of him, his dangling ankles “accidentally” rubbing against Oser’s trouser legs.

“As a commoner, I’ve never been to a high-society ball, so I want to broaden my horizons.”

“There will be more opportunities in the future than you’ll ever want to attend.”

Ling Yi’s lips curved slightly: “But I’ve been locked up for the past few months, either in prison or the hospital, with no freedom of movement at all. I’m practically suffocating.”

Tang De realized that this was his only chance at salvation: “His Highness Ling Yi is right. Staying inside for too long can lead to psychological problems, and it’s not good for physical recovery either. If you bring His Highness Ling Yi to the ball, the guards will absolutely do their utmost to ensure his safety.”

“Lu Hulun certainly won’t expect me to attend. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t dare attack me at Grand Duke Sully’s ball.”

Tang De nodded vigorously in agreement: “Even if the Prime Minister himself was present, he would have to give face to Grand Duke Sully. No one would want to make enemies of three countries at once.”

Seeing that Oser was still hesitating, Ling Yi coquettishly hooked his arms around his neck: “Your Highness, you told Grand Duke Sully you’re bringing a dance partner. But if you show up with Tang De, I’m sure the guests will laugh at you.”

Oser said disdainfully: “Let them laugh if they want to. I’m used to it.”

“You didn’t have an Omega in the past, because you didn’t have a choice. Now that you have me, it’s time for you to hold your head high.”

. . . . . .

Luo Li came in and asked: “How can His Highness Ling Yi attend a ball without me?”

He spread out his hands, revealing foundation, eyeshadow, and lipstick between his fingers one by one. “Let me show you the power of Luo Li’s formidable skills.”

Half an hour later, Luo Li’s formidable skills shocked everyone in the room.

After the application of makeup, Ling Yi retained the sharpness of an Alpha alongside a bit of Omega charm. His iconic upturned eyes were emphasized, and just one glance was capable of captivating a person to the very core.

Luo Li had found a waist-length silver wig somewhere that was the exact same shade as Ling Yi’s hair, and after putting it on, he possessed a beauty that made it difficult to tell whether he was male or female.

Tang De was the most shocked: “Luo Li, why did you choose nursing as a profession? It doesn’t fully utilize your strengths.”

Luo Li pushed his fingers forward in a lotus pose and said with a smile: “Captain Tang De is looking down on me. I know you’re praising me, but I also do an excellent job as a nurse.”

Ling Yi did a spin in front of Oser: “What do you think, Your Highness?”

Oser narrowed his eyes, and something seemed to move slowly under his tightly pursed lips.

Tang De shouted internally: Stop spinning! Haven’t you noticed that His Highness Oser’s gaze hasn’t left your face this entire time? If he keeps staring, sparks will fly!

On the precipice of danger, Oser finally shifted his gaze from Ling Yi’s eyes to his hairline. He used his index finger to lift a lock of shimmering silver hair, which slipped playfully through his fingers.

“Not bad.” He gave a two-word evaluation.

Luo Li shook the metal accessory in his hand: “This is an Omega ear cuff, which inhibits the leakage of pheromones. If you wear this, even a dog with the sharpest nose won’t be able to smell any pheromones.”

“With all of this, it will be foolproof,” Tang De said. “Even if the mask accidentally falls off, nobody will recognize him.”

Ling Yi thought of another person whose opinion could be consulted.

“If even he can’t recognize me, there definitely won’t be a problem.”

Xi Lei found someone standing outside his father’s intensive care room window with their back turned to him.

“Are you looking for someone?”

The head of long, straight silver hair turned, and Xi Lei’s pupils dilated little by little.

His aura pulled back a bit, and he spoke in an awkward tone Ling Yi had never heard before: “Do you know my dad? Why did you come to see him?”

Xi Lei saw familiar disdain on an unfamiliar face.

“I came to visit his eldest son, I heard he’s blind. What a pitiful thing.”

Xi Lei heard this voice and was dumbfounded: “You’re Ling Yi? Why are you dressed like…..”

His tone softened involuntarily: “Like this?”

Ling Yi: “…..”

Why hadn’t he realized before that Alphas were such superficial visual animals?

“What are you still standing there for? Why haven’t you changed your clothes?”

Xi Lei: “Ah?”

“Hasn’t it always been your dream to guard His Highness? Tonight, I’ll make your dream come true.”

. . . . . .

At the entrance of Florian Castle stood a large group of people.

Standing in the front center row was the owner of the castle, Grand Duke Sully, along with his pregnant wife.

Sully was curious about the mysterious dance partner Oser had mentioned, but was also concerned for his wife’s health, so he craned his neck to look out into the courtyard and fussed over the person at his side, swinging back and forth like a busy pendulum.

“Madam, that fellow Oser isn’t worthy of you personally welcoming him. Just sit in the hall and rest. When he arrives, I’ll bring him to see you immediately.”

Mrs. Sully was already the mother of three children, but she still maintained the beauty of her youth along with the sort of dignified temperament that came with time.

“It won’t hurt me to move around more. Besides, who wouldn’t be eager to meet the dance partner His Highness Oser brought with him?”

Those gathered around were all nobles who had heard the news and couldn’t wait to watch a good show.

“It’s just as Madam Sully says. It’s rarer for His Highness Oser to have a partner than it is for the sun to rise in the west. Even if I missed my son’s birth, I wouldn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event.”

“If I were to guess, His Highness Oser probably hired an Omega to accompany him to the ball. With His Highness’s financial resources, such a minor thing would be easy to accomplish.”

Sully disagreed: “His Highness only said in the video call that he would bring a dance partner. He didn’t mention an Omega, but the possibility of an Alpha can’t be ruled out.”

“An Alpha? An Alpha would be expensive, and also wouldn’t be willing to dance with His Highness Oser.”

The guests burst into laughter and agreed with him.

“Dance with His Highness Oser? How many layers of mental attacks would that result in? Even Tang De wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“I think he fell for Grand Duke Sully’s provocation and set his goals too high. I’ll bet my family heirlooms that he’s going to bring Tang De again.”

Speak of Tang De, and Tang De would arrive. The bettor was very pleased to see him: “See? What did I tell you?”

Tang De also wore a very formal and festive uniform. When he set aside his carefree nature, he was a handsome man with a dignified appearance. No wonder Luo Li was always inexplicably flirting with him.

Tang De saluted everyone present: “Grand Duke and Madam Sully, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.”

Mrs. Sully said in a pleasant tone: “Tang De, why are you here alone? Where is His Highness?”

“His Highness Oser will be here soon.”

“That’s great,” said Mrs. Sully. “We’ve been waiting anxiously for him and his mysterious guest.”

Tang De lowered his head and nodded, the corners of his mouth curving up involuntarily: “You won’t be disappointed.”

The black extended-cab vehicle arrived late and slowed to a stop. The blackout window film blocked all curious gazes.

The nobles eagerly craned their necks like finely-dressed meerkats.

Tang De put one hand behind him and opened the back door with the other, making a gesture of invitation under the gazes of everyone.

“Your Highness, please—”

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26